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The Science of the harmful health effects of Marijuana.
With the rush to legalize marijuana, it has been lost in the haze that marijuana is a psychoactive drug. A drug that can lead to serious health problems, in some people. Most vulnerable are adolescents, young adults, and pregnant women, but heavy or chronic use of Weed can also lead to dependence and health complications for people at all ages. The scientific evidence clearly shows effects of Cannabis and Cannabis products on Cognition, Memory, and IQ as well as influencing Psychosis, Anxiety, Depression, Cardiovascular problems, and other health and behavioral problems. This book leads you directly to the science of Marijuana and the deleterious effects on your health.
Reviews
Reviewer:
KGBecker
-
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
December 13, 2021
Subject: Whoa Dude-Kirkus Review
Subject: Whoa Dude-Kirkus Review
WHOA DUDE! Think on these things before getting too deep into smoking weed* *or what the science of marijuana is telling us about the harmful effects for you, your friends, or your kids.
by Kevin Becker ; illustrated by Ned Hopkins ‧
An offbeat but deeply researched look at the negative effects of recreational weed use.
A debut nonfiction book warns against the underreported health risks of marijuana use.
One of the successes of the weed legalization movement has been to persuade the public that marijuana is not the boogeyman that decades of anti-drug campaigns have made it out to be. But weed activists have been so successful that the documented health risks associated with recreational marijuana use are not widely known or discussed. “There is growing evidence that because weed is being legalized, people think that marijuana is safe for everyone,” writes Becker in his introduction. “This is simply not true. If you only get your information from the internet, you are getting a mashup of myths, facts, self-promotion, confirmation bias, opinion, and marketing.” With this book, the author seeks to advise consumers (particularly young ones) on the current state of medical research regarding the potentially harmful side effects that marijuana use can cause. He walks readers through the wealth of scientific information already available, demonstrating the ways that marijuana can have deleterious effects on the brain, mental health conditions, pregnancy, the cardiovascular system, and other parts of the body. He also discusses the negative societal impacts of recreational weed use, including on educational achievement, employment, and car accidents. Becker’s prose does not channel the stereotypical stoner suggested by the title, though it is informal and idiosyncratic: “The human brain is generally thought to be the most complex organ in the human body. Dolphins and elephants also have complex brains and, in fact, have bigger brains than we do, so don’t go around being all superior and such.” He lays out his politics early in the volume—he supports decriminalization and medicalization, but not “Budweiser-ization”—and he meticulously cites his sources. (The reference notes themselves number 95 pages.) The book includes some delightfully trippy illustrations by Hopkins, like a fetus inside a bong. The work is more serious and less scolding than the title implies, though it is perhaps an unlikely vehicle for reaching the young consumers the author hopes to save.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Midwest Book Review
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, “Whoa Dude!” is an impressively informed and informative contribution to our current national discussion concerning the use and legalization of marijuana — making it an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to high school, community, college and university library Health/Medicine collections in general, and Marijuana supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Choice Review
Reviewed By Vincent Dublado for Readers’ Favorite
Upon a first look at its cover, this book may seem like a hippie’s guide to weed smoking. However, upon reading its title and dipping into its contents, Whoa Dude! Think on these things before getting too deep into smoking weed by Kevin G. Becker Ph.D. is a highly informative caveat that you need to heed if you ever consider smoking weed for recreational purposes or if you are simply concerned about its long-term effects. As a sourcebook, it is not limited to providing information about peer-reviewed scientific evidence of the harmful effects of weed, but it also sheds light on that common misconception about weed never hurting anybody. It is not your typical ‘not-another-anti-marijuana’ guidebook, but rather a well-researched and open-minded look at what you need to consider before you even dare to flirt with Cannabis sativa.
As a concerned scientist, brother, and father, Kevin G. Becker Ph.D. hits all the right notes in his efforts to curb misinformed societal attitudes on cannabis use. While the Internet is teeming with information about marijuana use, not all of it is reliable, and you can easily fall into the trap of misinformation. Becker applies the rule of ‘show, don’t tell’ by showing you research-based facts that hopefully will help you come up with a sound decision at the end. It does not tell you to avoid weed at all costs, for such dense cautionary bidding does not help you exercise careful assessment that is necessary for an issue that puts your well-being on the betting table. As the legalization of marijuana largely contributes to the common belief that weed is safe, Whoa Dude! provides that much-needed vigilance in letting you know as much as possible about what you put in your body. It is an honest discussion that similarly advises how marijuana research is an ongoing process. The author lets you rethink if those who are pushing for the rapid commercialization of weed have your best interests at heart. This is the sourcebook that you need to be truly informed on the subject.
by Kevin Becker ; illustrated by Ned Hopkins ‧
An offbeat but deeply researched look at the negative effects of recreational weed use.
A debut nonfiction book warns against the underreported health risks of marijuana use.
One of the successes of the weed legalization movement has been to persuade the public that marijuana is not the boogeyman that decades of anti-drug campaigns have made it out to be. But weed activists have been so successful that the documented health risks associated with recreational marijuana use are not widely known or discussed. “There is growing evidence that because weed is being legalized, people think that marijuana is safe for everyone,” writes Becker in his introduction. “This is simply not true. If you only get your information from the internet, you are getting a mashup of myths, facts, self-promotion, confirmation bias, opinion, and marketing.” With this book, the author seeks to advise consumers (particularly young ones) on the current state of medical research regarding the potentially harmful side effects that marijuana use can cause. He walks readers through the wealth of scientific information already available, demonstrating the ways that marijuana can have deleterious effects on the brain, mental health conditions, pregnancy, the cardiovascular system, and other parts of the body. He also discusses the negative societal impacts of recreational weed use, including on educational achievement, employment, and car accidents. Becker’s prose does not channel the stereotypical stoner suggested by the title, though it is informal and idiosyncratic: “The human brain is generally thought to be the most complex organ in the human body. Dolphins and elephants also have complex brains and, in fact, have bigger brains than we do, so don’t go around being all superior and such.” He lays out his politics early in the volume—he supports decriminalization and medicalization, but not “Budweiser-ization”—and he meticulously cites his sources. (The reference notes themselves number 95 pages.) The book includes some delightfully trippy illustrations by Hopkins, like a fetus inside a bong. The work is more serious and less scolding than the title implies, though it is perhaps an unlikely vehicle for reaching the young consumers the author hopes to save.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Midwest Book Review
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, “Whoa Dude!” is an impressively informed and informative contribution to our current national discussion concerning the use and legalization of marijuana — making it an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to high school, community, college and university library Health/Medicine collections in general, and Marijuana supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Readers Choice Review
Reviewed By Vincent Dublado for Readers’ Favorite
Upon a first look at its cover, this book may seem like a hippie’s guide to weed smoking. However, upon reading its title and dipping into its contents, Whoa Dude! Think on these things before getting too deep into smoking weed by Kevin G. Becker Ph.D. is a highly informative caveat that you need to heed if you ever consider smoking weed for recreational purposes or if you are simply concerned about its long-term effects. As a sourcebook, it is not limited to providing information about peer-reviewed scientific evidence of the harmful effects of weed, but it also sheds light on that common misconception about weed never hurting anybody. It is not your typical ‘not-another-anti-marijuana’ guidebook, but rather a well-researched and open-minded look at what you need to consider before you even dare to flirt with Cannabis sativa.
As a concerned scientist, brother, and father, Kevin G. Becker Ph.D. hits all the right notes in his efforts to curb misinformed societal attitudes on cannabis use. While the Internet is teeming with information about marijuana use, not all of it is reliable, and you can easily fall into the trap of misinformation. Becker applies the rule of ‘show, don’t tell’ by showing you research-based facts that hopefully will help you come up with a sound decision at the end. It does not tell you to avoid weed at all costs, for such dense cautionary bidding does not help you exercise careful assessment that is necessary for an issue that puts your well-being on the betting table. As the legalization of marijuana largely contributes to the common belief that weed is safe, Whoa Dude! provides that much-needed vigilance in letting you know as much as possible about what you put in your body. It is an honest discussion that similarly advises how marijuana research is an ongoing process. The author lets you rethink if those who are pushing for the rapid commercialization of weed have your best interests at heart. This is the sourcebook that you need to be truly informed on the subject.
